My dad has gotten into a neurotic habit of flossing his teeth 5-10x/day with floss sticks, which he has scattered throughout the house close to different places where he sits. He yanks the sticks out of his mouth aggressively by pulling his head back at the same time and says he’s getting plaque out. He says he knows it’s plaque because it breaks off in shards and says he can feel the sharp pieces on his tongue/between his fingers after they break off. He says these sharp pieces also melt in hot water. According to him the plaque buildup occurs after every meal, nap, sleep, etc.
My dad is 63 and has multiple forms of heart disease including accelerated arterial plaque buildup. This issue is serious in that he’s had multiple heart attacks and multiple heart surgeries. My dad believes the accelerated dental plaque is caused be his accelerated arterial plaque coming up through his gums.
My dad has repeatedly asked his dentist and his cardiologist about this dental issue and the potential correlation. His dentist, according to my mom, is a “quack”... (She has complained to me about his dentist for decades.) His dentist cannot diagnose or treat the issue, but suggests deep cleanings every 3 months. My dad generally follows his dentist’s recommendations re: that and whatever else, which is a lot of other things.
I do know know heart and gum/dental issues often go hand-in-hand. About a year ago I encouraged my dad to ask his cardiologist about it since it’s highly unlikely he’d be the only person experiencing such a thing, whatever this thing is. Initially his cardiologist said the issues do not appear to be related.
His dentist continues to say he does not know what is occurring but maintains that he believes my dad’s progressing arterial plaque issue is causing the progression of his dental plaque issue. Recently, my dad’s cardiologist said the issues may be correlated.
I’m visiting my parents for the holidays, and my dad’s flossing issue has worsened. I’ve tried to approach it in different ways, but my dad seems firmly set in his ways. He is unwilling to: get a second opinion, drink hot water/tea to melt the plaque, or just floss once per day in the bathroom only. He argues that he: has been with his dentist forever through X, Y and Z issues; has to floss to prevent bleeding because he is a bleeder; and says he will not be changing so don’t counsel him on it. (I’m a therapist.)
I’m like...what is this?! Is this even real?! Why keep going to a dentist who
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To clarify this is not a medical help question. I can very well manage oral hygiene, this is simply a question of curiosity. Is plaque the bacteria itself stacked on top of itself or is it an agent our body uses to dispatch the unwanted bacteria? I can’t find a clear answer on google. It only pulls up advice to floss to get rid of it 🤷♀️
Edited: changed plague to plaque
OK, has anyone actually found a solution for excessive amounts of dental plaque/calculus build up?
I used to be vegan, and had 0 dental plaque build up. However since i started eating meat again my plaque buildup is crazy. I'm not fully carnivore anymore as i consume small amounts of veg now but even after nearly 2 years of eating meat and on a low/no oxalate diet i still have exessive amounts of plaque.
I use xylitol mouthwash, an electric toothbrush, interdental brushes, tongue scraper, etc but even after cleaning my teeth and mouth they feel fuzzy after a very short amount of time. My front lower teeth are the worst for it, and i have to scrape the plaque off and out between them essentially everyday. Like i can't take it anymore.
I'm someone that has never brushed everyday (no tooth decay, fillings etc) up until i started eating meat because my teeth p much always felt clean and i never had bad breath. I never had to scrape plaque off from my teeth before.
My oral health is a lot worse off for some reason, my teeth are always fuzzy, breath smells worse and I've started to get tonsils stones regularly too.
I have sensory processing difficulties and it makes me really anxious and uncomfortable a lot as well as just making me feel unclean.
I would appreciate any help from people who have had this issue and found a solution. I'm not looking for advice on how to CLEAN my teeth, but for a solution to stop the excessive plaque froming in the first place. Thanks.
(I'm getting notifications for replies but they aren't showing up when i go to check a lot of the time)
UPDATE!!! I added carbs back into my diet and my dental plaque has noticeably reduced!
I need to take my pooch to get plaque buildup removed and I called one vet and they said it can range from $300-700 :(. Does anyone have a dog they have taken to get their plaque removed under anesthesia that is affordable? Please help a post-grad student out!
Side note: I stupidly thought that Petco could do it but they only do simple dental brushing with a toothbrush. No hardcore surgical procedures there.
In the first grade (2008-2009) I saw this Dental Health cartoon including at least two super hero's, one boy and one girl, as well as like, another tooth i think? I could be wrong. From what i remember they seemed to each represent one tooth cleaning method (brushing, flossing, and mouthwash) There might have been a third super hero but i'm not completely sure. Im only positive on the girl and the boy because my friend and i compared ourselves to them lol.
The plot from what i can recall is about the super hero's battling plaque and evil bacteria in someones mouth. Each using their special power. The boy was the leader i think, using a toothbrush. I dont remember what the girl had.
The animation style from what i remember seemed like it was a cheaper early 2000s look but it could have been from sooner as we watched "the great 911" adventure which is from the 90s.
[edit] Talking to my friend she says she remembers that it was three kids, not two as well as there a song. She does not remember the song though.
Also I feel as if I should add we live in the United States.
I'm a 23 year old guy, teeth are in good shape, but on my two lower canines there are these white spots at the base and they haven't gone away and they've been there for a year, so maybe not in so great shape. What is it and can they be taken away?
